The 431 B.C. – 404 B.C.

• After the war between the Persians and the , emerged as one of the most powerful city-states; it had a large navy, and an admiral named . Athens used this power against the other Greek cities, to tax them, and engage in extortion.

• The original conflict was between the city of and one of its colonies, but Athens was drawn in because of its financial interests. The war grew, drawing in other cities, and , which had the largest army, entered when one of its allies was attacked. The was the Athenian group of allies, and the was Sparta’s group. says that the war against Athens was motivated by fear of Athenian power, or envy.

• , an Athenian officer, kept the population inside the fortified city, and used his navy; but a plague broke out in the city in 430 B.C.; in 424 B.C., a treaty was signed, but both sides broke the treaty, and by 415 B.C., they were fighting again, about the control of . Athens lost ships, allies, and popular support for the war, while the Spartans gained help from the Persians. Athens eventually surrendered.

• The Spartans controlled Athens for a year through a puppet government, after which Athenian government returned in an even less democratic form than before. Sparta was now the most powerful Greek city-state, but even it had been weakened by the war.

• The were a type of infantryman in this war.